Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-03-19

THE CHURCH MILITANT.
DR.. Talmage breaches an Effective Dis
course on Communion.
A Tender and Pathetic Description Of
Ohrist's Death.
The Church Below the Vostibule Of the
Church Above
TEE COMMUNION OF SAINTS.

dus Oh. ~, v. IA: "This day shall be
soto you for a memorial" He said:
When week before last the commu-
nioant membership Of this church
passed into the four thousand, now
reaching four thousand and ffty-one,
she FIRST part OF nv text came to my
miEd. and bethought myself what a
grand thing it would be il the four
thousand Of our COMMUNICATE mem
bership would. like the four thousand
of the ancient Temple, make it their
lifetime business, TO praise the Lord.
Let them all take harp and timbrel and
anthem and doxology!
The allusion of my second text is to
NE Passover, which commemorated
the deliverance of the children of
Israel on the night when the destroy
ing angel sped through the land Of
Hgyps destroying the enemy but
saving the Israelites, because on the
door-poss of their dwellings was
sprinkled the blood o; the lamb. To-
day we come TO celebrate n grander
Passover. all peril going away from
a soul at the sight of the s~prinkled
tlsod Of the Lamb of God on the door-
posts of "a hearts. Christ, our Pass
ever. sacrificed for us. This day
shai, be unto You for a memorial"
The Sacramento Sabbath, whether
1t osme in Nm American church or an
Rnglish chapel or a Scotch kirk, is
more impressive than any other Sab
bath. II. light is holier, calmer,
swceter; It's voice moro tender; its
touoh is softer; it's memories are more
shastencd. The fruits of the Christian
life suddenly ripen, like orchards on the
hill fronting the south. The wine OF
the holy sacrament seems pressed from
the grapes of celestial vineyards, and
the bread broken seems TO drop from
the hand OF Him who parted the loaves
for the Eve thousand. We walk to the
church OF God with more thoughtful.
face and with quieter step. The jubi
liant songs of other Sundays are struck
tsrough with ponsiveness and are al
u tremble with tears; and when, at the
close Of the service. at the door we
shake hands. it is with a moro cordial
grasp, because we feel thrilling through
our body, and mind. and soul the great
doctrines of
CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD;
and cur minds GO back to the fore.
fathers celebrating the in
times Of persecution in Scotland among
the Highlands; commemorating tn.
dying love of Christ, while they were
pursued of their enemies, pouring the
wine into rough wooden cups, dipping
the waters of baptism from the noun
tain rock. until one day they heard the
veices of their enemies coming up tn,
hiii, and the pastor cried out
.'Oh Lord, the Shepherd, hav,
mercy on the sheep!' and in
,stantIy there was a roaring heart
as of great floods and sure enough {
cloud had burst and there were great
torrents running down the mountain
side that whelnsd their foes with sud,
den wrath. What a deli Ierance it was
for them on that sacramcntal day! OF
that on this sacramento day the cloud
Of Gods mercy might burst and our
sans be whelmed and our souls saved
This is the amethyst of days. This is
Che pearl Of days. This is the diamond
of days. This is the day CT days.
Among the ten THOUSAND million ages
of eternity the first Sabbath of March.
1887, will be to you significant and
memorable, for ''this day shall be unto
you" for evcr and for ever "a memo
rial"
There is much in the scene OF to-day
To- impress us because it is a time of re-
lhloICFlBtlt 4 uStu 10 IcIldIh tUil III
| ever lived TO sec our membership
reach
VoUE THOUSAND
thought ! would be willing TO say
with one Of the old: ..Now, Lord, let.
te%s thou thy servant depart in peace,
for mine eyes have seen Try salvation
But l have changed my mind, and ]
never SO ninth wanted to stay as now,
so as TO sect hem all enlisted for God
and to watch their victories. VIVA,
might they not accomplish in the way
Of making the world better if they
were all baptized with a double portion
of the Holy Ghost! Four thousand
That is four full regiments, as military
mon count a thousand to a regiment.
j think not one hypocrite amongst
them. Taken into the church some
shines in large numbers, but each one
AZ carefully examined as to change OF
heart, and evidence of regeneration as
though he or she were the only one
presenting himself or herself. Many
az suF former members have passed